Alicia Glasgow Gentles joins Board of Directors
Mitzian Turner appointed new Executive Director
The ever dynamic MultiCare Youth Foundation (MYF, the philanthropic arm of the ICD Group), which marked three decades of empowering programmes for vulnerable Jamaican youth last year, and which this month took the first of its proven mix of prosocial youth interventions to a Caribbean neighbour, is announcing two significant changes in its management structure.
MYF Chairman Joseph M. Matalon notes:
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of former Executive Director, Alicia Glasgow Gentles to our Board of Directors, and to welcome Mitzian Turner as she takes up her appointment as our new Executive Director.
“Mrs Glasgow Gentles has given nearly 12 years of her life to this Foundation, 12 years of tireless commitment, creativity, and passion for young people across Jamaica. When she joined us in 2014, the Foundation was at a crossroads – not unlike some of our youth: full of potential, but needing the right guidance and structure to find its footing and chart a sustainable path forward.
“Through her steady leadership, she didn’t just keep MYF going, she made it thrive. She brought focus, order, and an unwavering belief in our mission – that every Jamaican young person deserves the opportunity to learn, to grow, and to succeed. She built partnerships, deepened trust among our donors, and expanded programmes that have touched the lives of tens of thousands of youths across the island.
“We are deeply fortunate,” Mr. Matalon concludes, “that although she is moving on to a different career path, Mrs Glasgow Gentles will continue to serve The MYF as a Board member, ensuring that her insight, her institutional memory, and her calm wisdom remain very much part of the fabric of this organisation.”
Alicia Glasgow Gentles gained her BA in Communication at Rutgers State University of New Jersey, and an MBA from the University of the West Indies’ Mona School of Business, focusing on Public Relations with a minor in Psychology.
A former Arts and Media Specialist and later Project Manager with the JN Foundation, Mrs. Glasgow Gentles is a Director of BizTactics Limited and the Creative Language-Based Learning Foundation. She chaired the New Employment Opportunities for Youth in Jamaica Project Steering Committee (2016-19) and served on the Education Committee of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (2011-12). She was a Dancer with the National Dance Theatre Company (1998-18), and has served as its Public Relations Officer (2010-17) and a member of its Management Committee (2017-18).
In welcoming Mitzian Turner to her new post as Executive Director of The MultiCare Youth Foundation, Mr. Matalon points out:
“Mrs. Turner is no stranger to the Foundation. Since joining us in early 2023 as Director of Projects and Strategic Management, she has shown exceptional strategic vision, professionalism, and a quiet but firm determination that every project must deliver measurable results. She has also shown that rare ability to balance compassion with accountability — to understand that impact is not only about numbers, but about lives being changed.
“She brings with her a wealth of experience from both the public and private sectors, and a deep understanding of how systems, partnerships and people come together to drive real change. She has already earned the respect and confidence of the Board, her colleagues, and our partners, and we have no doubt that she will lead The MYF into its next exciting chapter of growth and innovation.”
Mitzian Turner joined The MYF as a distinguished national and regional development leader, with 20 years of experience and leadership roles across public and private sectors, including serving as a former Director of the Caribbean Micro-Finance Alliance. She is a certified Project Management Professional with a Masters degree in Human Resource Development from the University of the West Indies and post graduate studies in education and training.
The MultiCare Youth Foundation works with local and international partners to provide layered, pro-social interventions to empower vulnerable young men and women to avoid becoming involved with, or victims of crime and violence, and to go on to build a positive future. Over 200,000 young Jamaicans have benefited from these interventions, and The MYF is currently training teachers and youth workers in Barbados to administer one of its programmes, in the first of a planned collaboration with other Caribbean nations.
